Michael Haneke is the king of European art-house squirm and his latest flick – These Two – takes us into the world of old age pensioners who slowly lose their dignity and control of their bodies. It also sees the Austrian auteur re-unite with his Piano Teacher and Time of the Wolf actress, Isballe Huppert.

Haneke initially abandoned the project believing Sarah Polley’s Away From Her and the Barbarian Invasions skirted similar territory but now he’s found it a worthwhile endeavour and shooting begins in February 2011. The plot centres on:

“On cultured octogenarians Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and Anne (Emmanuelle Riva), who are retired music teachers. Their daughter (Isabelle Huppert), also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne suffers a minor stroke. When she leaves the hospital and returns home, she is paralysed down one side. The love that binds this old couple will really be put to the test.”

If you’ve seen the films of Haneke you’ll know they often focus heavily on bourgeois characters acting in highly peculiar ways. Since the 1990s, his work has explored a rich tapestry of human connections and disconnections to dazzling effect.

There’s also rumour he’s working on a movie about social networking sites and their alienating effects. One imagines it could be something of a companion piece to Benny’s Video (1992). No doubt These Two will be an intense and riveting affair.

Source: The Playlist.